


What I Can Do

by Inarikasugawa



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Episode four, Gen, Musing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-10 00:11:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11115813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inarikasugawa/pseuds/Inarikasugawa
Summary: She walks with her head held high.





	What I Can Do

I walked behind her, storm troopers flanking the young Princess Leia as we approached the viewing deck. Something like pride pricked against my skin as she took long strides and held her chin high. But she was foolish to imagine herself as strong. I remembered myself at her age, and I had no pity for the pain she was yet to feel. 

And yet.

"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash." 

She was too quick to bite, she had no idea of the crack the whip was to bring down. 

"I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

The general's age thinned face pulled into a creased, knowing smirk. 

"Charming, to the last."

Their high accents and breathy intonation did nothing to mask the open hatred between them. It wasn't until the princess pulled herself backwards from his touch that I realized either she had slowly stepped back towards me, or I had edged my presence towards her unconsciously, but she was trapped well between myself and the General. I watch the twixt interaction.

General Tarkin tells Leia the purpose of her summoning to the platform, why in the distance, in the darkness of space, the peaceful blue planet of Alderaan dances in their sights. She pleads for the lives and the peace of her people, and as he steps closer, I feel her flinch and, briefly, see if shelter could be found behind her. 

But there is only me, and I offer no succor to the terrified princess being told to betray either her beloved people or her firmly held ideals. She breaks as anyone else would. A tension I did not know I was holding uncoils between my shoulders, a breath my body was holding. I exhale. She looks at the floor. 

"Dantooine." She whispers, broken and defeated, knowing as she does that she has condemned her comrades, her friends and her cause, to death. 

"There," the General says, looking up at me. "you see Lord Vader? She can be reasonable. Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."

She screams in hurt anger and surprise. General Tarkin wants an example, one way or another, to show the galaxy just what the empire is capable of doing. A small, obliviated planet like Tatooine would make no impact to other planets resisting the power of my Master. Alderaan would be the only warning shot they would receive. 

It is when she moves forward, to plead or to attack it is irrelevant, I feel the agitation of the troops around us and I reach for her, pull her back to me as if I could with the motion save her from culmination of her youthful mistakes. 

I am unable. 

The disturbance in the force tears through me.


End file.
